


i think i wanna marry you

by artsyleo



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Drunken Flirting, Episode Related, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy, Idiots in Love, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:01:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28733139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsyleo/pseuds/artsyleo
Summary: episode coda from last night, based on a tumblr post i made about drunk callum being all cute and flirty and ben just being in love
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 17
Kudos: 106





	i think i wanna marry you

**Author's Note:**

> cw for alcohol

“Mm, Ben?” 

“Yes, babe?” 

“M’love you.” 

Ben can’t help but laugh, because Callum is the most  _ ridiculous  _ drunk, hands down. It doesn’t happen often - he’s seen him properly drunk like this maybe a couple of times since they’ve been dating - but it seems Frankie’s determined to forget something, and the two of them had been roped into it. Add that to the fact that Callum is the biggest lightweight, and the almost-tipsy state that he’d been in when Ben had gotten there and, well- now Ben’s carrying him home. 

It’s not a hardship, exactly. Callum is kind of funny like this, and it’s always nice to see him let loose, but- it’s more than that. He likes being able to take care of him, especially when the  _ taking care  _ goes as deep as one too many shots of vodka and  _ that green cocktail, ooh and the blue one! _ They’ve been through so much this past year, and maybe it’s kind of nice that they get this little bit of ordinary after it all. 

And maybe Ben’s a little bit protective of the other man, and maybe he just likes being able to take care of him- sue him. 

Callum’s arm shifts away from around his shoulder a little and Ben grabs Callum’s hand in his, pulling it so that he’s forced closer to Ben, where he can smell Callum’s aftershave and the body wash that he’d used this morning. It’s selfish, really- an excuse because Ben just wants him close,  _ always  _ wants him close. 

Somehow, it just makes Callum giggle even more, and it’s a beautiful sound. Callum doesn’t let loose like this often and it’s not even about getting drunk, it’s more about him having the confidence to be himself around other people. Callum’s shy, and cares too much what other people think about him and so it always makes this warmth seep through Ben when he gets to see him let that loose for a night, even if it’s only while he’s under the influence. 

“Mm, Ben?” he says again, a happy lilt to his voice and a little bit of a slur. 

Ben laughs, because it’s exactly the same tone he’d used two minutes ago, and two minutes before that, and before that. “ _ Yes,  _ babe?” 

Callum leans in close so that he almost whispers it into his ear. “Love you.” 

The words still make Ben’s heart race without fail, every time. 

“I love you too, Cal,” he laughs, turning to face the other man and accepting the kiss that Callum places on his lips, seemingly on instinct - maybe it feels weird that someone’s first instinct when they look at him is to kiss him. Maybe it’s strange that someone sees that much in him. “But you did tell me that two minutes ago.” 

“Yep! I did,” Callum exclaims proudly, a little too loud for the quiet street and the hour that they’re walking back at. Ben laughs and shushes him, but he seemingly takes no notice. “An’ I’m gonna tell you again, ‘cause I love you.” 

“I’m glad you do,” Ben says, heart racing. “But we should really get-” 

“You’re so pretty,” Callum whispers, eyes trained on him. It shocks a laugh out of Ben at the rush that passes through, because  _ wow _ , that’s a feeling. 

“As are you, pretty boy,” Ben says, and Callum giggles, blushing right up to his ears. 

“Shhh! Need to be quiet,” Callum says, like it’s the most hilarious thing. 

Ben looks back at him, and that feeling runs back through him, that thing that feels so much more than he thought he could ever feel. That feeling-

_ I’m gonna marry that man, Jay.  _

_ That  _ feeling. 

Ben’s going to marry him. It’s a sure thought, a simple truth. One that’s settled in his chest, made a home there because it’s not going anywhere, and Ben doesn’t want it to. It’s odd, foreign, the idea of having feelings for someone that he’s not actively wishing away or desperately trying to ignore. 

It’s a nice feeling, Ben reckons. One that he’s certainly not wishing away any time soon. 

“What you lookin’ at?” Callum whines, but he’s blushing again. 

Ben blushes himself at being caught out, but he’s not ashamed. It hits him- he’s hardly ever ashamed around Callum, and  _ that’s  _ a thing. “Nothing, trouble.” 

“‘M not trouble, you’re trouble,” Callum says, then giggles again and leans into Ben, head on his shoulder. 

“Course I am, trouble,” Ben laughs. “Come on lightweight, let’s get you home.” 

Callum hums in agreement and shuffles closer to Ben’s neck. 

_ I’m gonna marry that man, Jay.  _

**Author's Note:**

> this is like the fluffiest thing ive written in a while and it was so much fun omg (also ben regularly calls callum pretty boy and you can fight me on that)  
> these boys just occupy my every thought at the minute and i just need them to get engaged already fuck- anywaysss, i hope you enjoyed, comments and kudos mean the world to me, n lots of love to you all  
> leo x (tumblr - artsy-highway)


End file.
